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Orlando Off the Beaten Path

Hi. I’m Chris, an American freelance creative living in London. I keep busy working as a blogger, photojournalist, community manager, consultant, curator and more. The opportunities and challenges keep getting bigger, better and more meaningful for me every year! I’m having so much fun. Favorite destinations are many and my list of must-see places to visit seems to get longer the more I travel!
I’m a huge fan of Lisbon, Istanbul and Queenstown – to name but a few preferred repeat locations. I also love heading back to the States every chance I find and cannot get enough of the Deep South – Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and the Carolinas – and Hawaii holds a particularly special place in my heart as well. And even though I’ve been based in London for years, it and the whole of Britain still yield myriad wonders for me.

Here’s a look at the best of Orlando beyond all its majorly mega attractions.

Good for

History Buff

Thrill Seeker

Shopping Fanatic

Art and Architecture Lover

Nature Lover

Foodie

Thrifty Traveller

9 Places

4 City Tips

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Map

9 Places

Beefy King

Restaurants

Casa Feliz Historic Home Museum

History Museums

Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art

Art Museums

Cornell Fine Arts Museum

Art Museums

Gatorland

Zoos

Holy Land Experience

Amusement & Theme Parks, Speciality Museums

Jack Kerouac House

Historic Sites

Harry P. Leu Gardens

Gardens

Renninger's Antique Center & Farmer's Flea Market

Antique Shops, Flea & Street Markets

Beefy King

424 N Bumby Ave, Orlando, FL32803-6028

Casa Feliz Historic Home Museum

656 N Park Avenue, Winter Park, FL32789

Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art

445 North Park Avenue, Winter Park, FL32789

Cornell Fine Arts Museum

1000 Holt Ave., Rollins College, Winter Park, FL32789

Gatorland

14501 South Orange Blossom Trail, U.S. 441, Orlando, FL32837

Holy Land Experience

4655 Vineland Road, Orlando, FL32811

Jack Kerouac House

1418 Clouser Avenue, Orlando, FL

Harry P. Leu Gardens

1920 North Forest Avenue, Orlando, FL32803

Renninger's Antique Center & Farmer's Flea Market

20651 US 441, Mount Dora, FL

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Beefy King

Restaurants

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Casa Feliz Historic Home Museum

History Museums

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Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art

Art Museums

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Cornell Fine Arts Museum

Art Museums

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Gatorland

Zoos

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Holy Land Experience

Amusement & Theme Parks, Speciality Museums

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Jack Kerouac House

Historic Sites

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Harry P. Leu Gardens

Gardens

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Renninger's Antique Center & Farmer's Flea Market

Antique Shops, Flea & Street Markets

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Chris O's City Tips

Look into getting a free Magicard; a discount card with deals and discounts on tickets, hotels, restaurants, shopping, spas, and more.

You’ll get the best deal on theme park tickets by purchasing them ahead of time.

Do not underestimate the Florida sun and the humidity. Take it easy, hydrate, and consider planning your itinerary to be inside (or by the pool) during the mid afternoon.

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Beefy King

Restaurants (Fast food, Sandwiches, Barbecue, Delicatessen)

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Chris O Says:

Nothing’s beefier than a Beefy King fresh cut roast beef sandwich (although the King’s pastrami sandwich comes close). A mainstay on the Central Floridian fast food scene for nearly half a century, foodies in the know make a dash here when craving something meaty served quick and with a smile.

Good for

Foodie

Thrifty Traveller

Hidden Gems

Like a Local

Tips

Don’t forget the "Beefy Spuds" and be sure to save room for the milkshakes!

This masterfully restored Spanish farmhouse designed by architect James Gamble Rogers II, evokes a sense of 19th century Spain — even as it overlooks a modern day golf course — and serves the greater Orlando community as both an historic museum and unique events space.

Good for

Peace and Quiet Seeker

History Buff

Art and Architecture Lover

Tips

Public open house is every Sunday from noon to 3pm. Private tours of 10 or more guests can be arranged.

The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum is home to the world’s largest collection of Louis Comfort Tiffany art, including the chapel interior that Morse designed for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. You’ll find one of America’s most important collections of pottery here and more.

Located on campus at Rollins College, Cornell Fine Arts Museum has a collection featuring more than 5,000 works — ranging from ancient to contemporary — with important pieces by Chagall, Picasso, Warhol, Moore, Basquiat, and many more. The museum also holds the only European Old Masters collection in the Orlando area.

Opened in 1949 and still owned by the same family, Gatorland is Orlando's longest running theme park. This 100+ acre attraction features a free-flight aviary, petting zoo, animal shows, alligator breeding marsh, a Screamin' Gator Zip Line, and more; along with the chance to see lots and lots of alligators and crocodiles, including four rare leucistic 'white' alligators.

Good for

Thrill Seeker

Nature Lover

Tips

Looking for an added thrill? Take a ride on the Screamin’ Gator Zip Line.

Be sure to check Gatorland’s website for discount coupons before heading over.

Not to everyone's tastes perhaps — the Holy Land Experience is a Christian theme park in Orlando based on the religious history of first-century Jerusalem. It contains recreations of famous artifacts and also stages in-depth re-enactments of the Stations of the Cross, and life size cut-outs of Tammy Faye Baker.

Voice of the Beat Generation, Jack Kerouac, lived in this humble house for a year during which time he wrote the novel 'The Dharma Bums.' Today, the house is home to a highly esteemed 'Writers in Residence' Program and welcomes interested guests who arrange visits beforehand.

Good for

Hidden Gems

Solo

Friends

History Buff

Couples

Senior

Art and Architecture Lover

Tips

Contact ahead of time to ensure you’ll be able to visit when you plan to be in town.

One man’s trash/another man's treasure and so much more can be found at this gargantuan flea market. A visit here is not just a chance to sift through jazzy junk however — Renninger’s is also home to a popular antiques market, as well as hosting a range of events throughout the year.

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